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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · wax · straw · cap · wake · rest · press · stick

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — to grow
  8. press — to push
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cap — a hat
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cap — a lid
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com